AMHERST – The Project Skydrop treasure hunt for a gold trophy and a massive prize has zeroed in on western Massachusetts. 

Jason Rohrer and Tom Bailey, video game developers from New Hampshire, hid a pure gold trophy valued at $26,000 somewhere in the woods. Whoever finds the trophy also gets the “prize bounty,” which is currently over $80,000, made up of entry fees from people joining the hunt.

Where is the Project Skydrop trophy?

When the search started on Sept. 19, a map showed that the trophy could be in a 500-mile radius that encompassed much of the northeast and areas as far south as Virginia. Now the circle’s diameter is only 35 miles within Massachusetts, stretching from South Hadley to the border of Vermont. 

Massachusetts communities inside the circle include Northampton, Amherst, Williamsburg, Easthampton, Deerfield, Montague, Greenfield, Ashfield, Shutesbury, Shelburne Falls and Charlemont.

The circle will continue shrinking until it’s only one foot in diameter on Oct. 10. By then, someone will have figured out where the treasure is hidden. 

Joining the Project Skydrop hunt

For $20, hunters get access to daily clues in the form of aerial photographs that show more of the surrounding landscape every day. They can also discuss the clues in a members-only chat group.

The Project Skydrop website has a live webcam view of the trophy location and screenshots of motion detected nearby. So far, cameras have only captured squirrels and other wildlife creatures checking out the treasure.

To claim the growing prize bounty, the winner must take a first-person video of themselves walking up to the trophy and upload it to YouTube. 

CHELMSFORD – A wildlife rescue group and its supporters are protesting a decision by authorities to release “Nibi” the beaver back into the wild, potentially as soon as Tuesday.

For the past two years, Nibi has been at Newhouse Wildlife Rescue in Chelmsford. The organization found the orphaned beaver and took her in when she was very young.

Since then, she’s been a hit on social media.

“So many people have fallen in love with Nibi,” Jane Newhouse tells WBZ-TV.

MassWildlife says it’s time for Nibi the beaver to be released

But now MassWildlife says it’s time to Nibi to return to nature, saying in a statement that “wild animals like this one belong in the wild.”

“The role of licensed wildlife rehabilitators is to care for sick and injured wildlife so that animals can be released back into the wild as soon as possible,” MassWildlife said. “Newhouse Wildlife Rescue was informed in June that the beaver is healthy and must be returned to the wild, in accordance with their permit and state regulations.”

Newhouse worries that the decision will cost the beaver her life. She said Nibi wanted nothing to do with other orphaned beavers brought to the facility, and could not be conditioned to survive in the wild.

“We tried to make Nibi releasable,” Newhouse said. “The goal for any wildlife rehabilitator is to acclimate these animals to the wild.”

MassWildlife says this is an appropriate time to release a beaver into the wild, but Newhouse wants to at least wait until spring. She fears Nibi won’t be able to make a den and dam and store food for the winter.

“Heartbroken over all of it”

A request to make Nibi an educational beaver and let her stay at the rescue was denied, Newhouse said.

“I’m heartbroken over all of it, to be honest with you,” Newhouse said.

MassWildlife says the beaver will be released in a suitable habitat away from people.